A Friend In Need
by Berrica
Summary: Because I don't really believe that Nico wanted to talk about TK when he showed up at Dani's house.  Heavy spoilers for the season finale.


AN: I'm shocked. It's been almost 24 hours since the season finale already, and I still have yet to see any sort of reaction piece posted to FF. It was such an amazing, glorious, wonderfully complex and subtle episode, it was absolutely perfect, even including the thing with Matt that I, for one, was hoping would be somehow avoided. But, I suppose that was wishful thinking on my part. There is one ray of hope; the writers wouldn't have decided to get Matt and Dani together now if they had intended for the relationship to last. There has to be some drama to it, after all. You know, dragging out the UST and all that. So, this isn't the relationship in which they ultimately want her to end up. Which gives me definite hope for DaNico, as I have decided to call them. =)

Anyway, since I haven't seen a reaction piece yet, I thought I'd do one of my own in the form of an episode tag. This picks up at the beginning of the very last scene.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Necessary Roughness, no matter how much I wish I did. Neither do I own any of the characters mentioned in this fic. All I can take credit for is a conversation I only wish actually happened.

* * *

><p><p>

The knocking at her door was both unexpected and unwelcome. She thought she may be cursed. Every time she was about to... expand her relationship with someone, _something_ interrupted. First her night out with JD, now her night _in_ with Matt. Would she ever get a break?

The knocks repeated themselves, a little louder, a little faster, somehow conveying a sense of importance. She sighed as she squirmed out from her very comfortable position underneath Matt. "If I don't get that, whoever it is is just going to keep knocking." He nodded, and she ran a hand through her hair as she went down the stairs, trying to at least look mostly put-together. Whoever it was knocked one last time before she reached the door, and she let out a little laugh at the unfairness of the world and the person on the other side of the glass.

"Nico."

"Dr. Santino," Nico replied, pushing past her and into her front hall.

"Now is not a good time," she started, but as he turned to face her, the urgency in his demeanor cut her off. He was agitated about something, all sharp movements and hurried words.

"There's been an incident." Dani's head jerked back, confused and worried. She didn't know what could possibly have happened tonight of all nights, but whatever it was, it was serious.

"What do you mean an incident?" She cursed inwardly as the sound of Matt's rapid footsteps coming down the stairs cut off Nico's response. His head snapped around, clearly caught unaware of the man's presence in the house, as Matt asked him what was wrong.

The small part of Dani that rejoiced in being able to surprise him for once was quickly shoved to the side when he returned his questioning gaze to her, guilt and embarrassment swelling to take its place. She couldn't meet his eyes, watching through her lashes as comprehension dawned and he reassessed the situation. Was that disappointment in his eyes as he looked back at Matt, now standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for an answer? Maybe a bit of sadness, as well, a hint of anger? The tiniest step backwards as he once again focused on her spoke volumes to her therapist's mind, and confirmed at least some of what she was seeing.

"Something happened. To TK." She knew enough about Nico by now to know that the way the man said something was as significant as what he was actually saying. In this case, what caught her attention was the pause before he named TK. She had no doubt in her mind that this was important, but wasn't really what he had come to talk about. Something had happened to him, too. She glanced over worriedly to see if Matt had picked up on this, silently relieved to see he showed no sign of having figured it out, and shifted her gaze back to Nico, worry and a question in her eyes. He seemed almost reluctant to answer it for some reason. She figured out why when he finally did. "He's been shot."

* * *

><p><p>

Dani's mouth dropped open slightly, shock flooding her face as she tried to find words to say. "Shot? What- Where is he now?" Nico knew she was having a hard time taking this in. He had, when he first heard it. In his experience, the only thing that helped conquer surprise like this was more information, something he was quick to feed her.

"Someone on scene called 911, so they were able to get him to the ER quickly. The doctors put him into emergency surgery immediately. From what I've heard, it was a close range shot. The bullet hit him in the shoulder and ricocheted off a rib, breaking it, before coming to a stop lodged in his scapula. He is lucky that the man was a poor shot. No major organs were hit. Surgery should be complete in about an hour, barring complications."

He paused for a moment, locking his gaze with Dani's. "I'm sure he will need someone to talk to. If you'd like, I'll give you a ride to the hospital." Nico ignored Matt completely as he talked, willing the doctor to hear the double meaning in what he said, and to recognize his offer for the request it was. He wanted a chance to speak to her alone. She stared at him for a second before nodding abruptly.

"I'm sorry, Matt, I have to go talk to him. I'll see you tomorrow." Dani's careful wording made him smile slightly.

"Wait, I should go, too. I'm his trainer. I need to know what's going on." Nico's smile fell away and he glanced towards Matt unhappily. The man made too much sense. There was no way he could refuse such a reasonable request. Dani looked over that way, too, and he could tell she was thinking fast.

"You're right, we should all be there." She paused, considering for a moment. "You'll need your car afterward, though, to get home. Why don't you follow us there? That way I can get the details of what happened on the way, and we won't waste more time." It was Matt's turn to frown this time, clearly wanting to argue but unable to without sounding desperate. Nico's admiration for the doctor, already high, rose another notch at her maneuver, and his appreciation of her rose about five. She could have just ridden with her... boyfriend. His mind jerked away from the term, though he supposed it was appropriate. He gestured towards the door, bowing her out and following her down the steps.

* * *

><p><p>

The car ride started out quietly; Nico seemed tense, hesitant to start the conversation. Deciding he wasn't going to, Dani reached over and turned on the radio to the first station she could find. He glanced at her and raised an eyebrow, silently questioning her as the sounds of some sort of rap filled the car. "Audio surveillance," she replied, exactly as he had that night in the parking lot. Was it only yesterday? He smiled slightly, amused at her teasing, and she smiled back, her goal of relaxing him accomplished. "Now, what happened?"

"TK was at a club celebrating with his teammates when a Chicago fan found him and started harassing him. By all accounts, TK responded amazingly well, first attempting to diffuse the situation, then walking away to greet Vivica, who had just shown up. The credit for his mature and reasonable reaction goes entirely to you, Doctor. The fan wasn't willing to let things go, though, and pulled a gun."

"Nico." He tensed slightly again and refused to look at her. She pushed on firmly. "That wasn't what I was talking about, and you know it." There was silence for a few more moments as he continued to avoid her gaze, until finally the words just seemed to tumble out of his mouth.

"I told Gabriella I was in love with her. She knew, of course, but its the first time I actually said it. To anyone."

"Ah." She blinked and reconsidered his statement, zeroing in on what she thought was the key word. "Was?" Nico nodded, focusing intently on the road. "Not anymore?"

He hesitated. "No. I don't know. Maybe. Not like I was."

"What do you mean?"

"What I was in love with was a fantasy. It just took me twenty years to see it. I can't keep compromising myself for something that will never happen. There's a reason she married Marshall and not me, and that hasn't changed. I found the clarity I was looking for, and I can't go back to unreality."

She could have cried for him; that simple statement was so heart-breaking. Her hand reached out of its own accord and touched his arm softly. "Nico. I'm sorry."

He smiled sadly and shook his head. "Don't be. I'm not. I needed to figure this out. I've been trying to for many years now."

"It must have been difficult to tell her."

A small laugh escaped his mouth. "Surprisingly, no. It was something of a relief to get everything in the open. Um, so to speak. Marshall will know about our affair soon enough. I'm going to tell him."

"How did she react?"

"Well she couldn't, really. Not in front of Devon. And I left before she had a chance to kick him out. But I think she was... expecting the confession. Wasn't expecting that I would tell, though. Why would she after twenty years? That was not a welcome surprise."

Dani squinted in confusion. "Who's Devon?"

"Marshall Pittman's chief legal council. The person to whom I was technically speaking when I told Gabriella."

"I see. Well, no, actually I don't. You told this Devon you were in love with Gabriella?"

"I told him she had had affairs. One in particular, who she was in love with, and he was in love with her. I named no names. I didn't have to, to make my point to her, and I didn't want to in regard to Devon. I only wanted him to pass the general information along to Marshall, not the specifics. I will do that myself."

Dani studied him for a moment in silence. She was still a bit confused about what had happened, but she had a feeling she would never find out all the details. After all, a magician never revealed his tricks. She shook her head as she realized he was still tensed up. "There's something else that's bothering you about the conversation, isn't there? What is it?"

"You are entirely too perceptive. I don't know why I keep letting you see so much." The dry comment was entirely typical of him, Dani thought. She wasn't sure many people got his sense of humor. But she did, and she was smiling as she waited for him to continue. The silence stretched as Nico considered his next words.

"Gabriella asked me who was going to get Nico in the Pittman custody battle. But it's not that simple. It wasn't a choice of one over the other, which would have been difficult enough. It was a choice between both or neither. If I lied, Pittman would be disappointed with the results, but I would still be a trusted employee. Gabriella would have been pleased I hadn't told and I would still have been in her good grace, even her lover if I so chose. But because I told the truth, Gabriella will be angry that I chose Marshall over her, and so will reject me. And Marshall will feel betrayed because I slept with his wife. I may soon find myself out of a job and with nowhere to go."

Dani thought about this, which was surely troubling him the most. "That's not quite right, either, Nico," she said, still working things through in her mind as she talked. "It wasn't a choice between both of them or neither of them, it was a choice between _you_ or them. Your integrity or their ignorant happiness. Your self-respect or their misconception of your slavish devotion. And by that I mean this wrongful idea they seem to have that, like a trained dog, you will do whatever they want, whenever they want it. But you chose yourself over them. That's not a bad thing. In fact, I would consider that a very good thing. I'm not sure either relationship was a healthy one, though I don't know much about your relationship with Marshall."

He frowned slightly – in introspection, she thought, not because of any negative emotion – and pursed his lips. "You're most likely correct. You usually are."

"And as for being out of a job, well, we'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it. Pittman might surprise you, and keep you on for telling him the truth. After all, it shows that ultimately, you still are loyal to him. But even if he doesn't, he can't be the only one around here who would value man of your talents. They are rather unique. Even, I suspect, among the limited amount of people who do your job." Nico glanced over at her, expression unreadable, and studied her for a moment.

"We?"

She smiled and nodded firmly. "We," she replied, and left it at that.

The rest of the ride to the hospital was silent, with the exception of the radio in the background. Nico pulled in and parked, sitting quietly as Dani gathered her stuff. She opened her door, ready to go deal with the other crisis awaiting her, and started to get out.

"Danielle." It was the first time he had called her by her first name, and it stopped her short as she looked over at him. She still couldn't quite read the look in his eyes, and some instinct kept her from looking too hard. "Thank you. For being a friend."

Her questioning glance softened in an instant, and she smiled gently. "Anytime, Nico. Anytime."


End file.
